All posts by n8rngtd.top

Everton: Allardyce got it wrong on Tosun

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Everton have routinely endured transfer misery over the years, particularly during the Farhad Moshiri regime, with high-profile and often costly figures coming through the door at Goodison Park only to go on to fail to live up to the hype.

For some, such as striker Cenk Tosun, those failed additions have not been helped by raised expectations upon their arrival, with the case of the Turkey international seeing the centre-forward struggle to live up to his initial billing.

The 45-cap menace had been snapped by the Toffees for a fee of around £27m from Besiktas back in January 2018, with then-boss Sam Allardyce lauding the capture as a notable coup, suggesting that the player was “the best in Europe” at the time for that price.

Such hype may well have been more of a hindrance than a help, however, with Allardyce going on to be proved horribly wrong by his new signing, as the 6-foot menace was unable to ever truly make his mark in English football.

The one-time Eintracht Frankurt man had suggested that a deal to join Crystal Palace had been “90%” done the previous summer, with the Merseysiders likely hoping that he had moved to Selhurst Park instead, preventing them from making what would prove to be a notable, expensive mistake.

Tosun would show signs of promise with five goals from just 14 Premier League appearances in the second half of the 2017/18 campaign, although was unable to build on that encouraging start the following season, with a measly return of four goals across all competitions.

Pundit Andy Gray had dubbed the German-born dud as “not good enough” amid those floundering displays when leading the line, with the player eventually making a belated switch to join the Eagles on loan in January 2020.

That temporary deal saw the struggling figure once again fail to prove his worth as he was struck down by injury just a matter of months into his time in south London, with that ACL issue subsequently ruling him out until October.

The centre-forward was then shipped off to former club Besiktas in January 2021 on another loan deal, although was again struck down by injury and illness, with it taking until this summer for the 31-year-old to finally return to Istanbul on a free transfer, following the expiry of his contract at Goodison Park.

In the end, the £1.8m-rated man had scored just 11 times and registered only six assists in his 61 appearances for the Premier League outfit prior to his recent exit, with that ‘best in Europe’ tag have gone on to look rather silly as far as Allardyce is concerned.

More injury misery for Man Utd! Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans ruled out as Red Devils face defensive crisis

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Manchester United face a defensive injury crisis as both Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane have been ruled out of this weekend's clash with Bournemouth.

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  • Varane faces "a few weeks" out
  • Evans to miss this weekend's clash
  • United now without six defenders

  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    United have confirmed that both Varane and Evans will be out this weekend against Bournemouth. The former will be out for "the next few weeks" after sustaining a muscle injury against Chelsea. Evans also has a muscle issue, but the club have confirmed it is "shorter-term".

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    United are now without six senior defenders. Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof are also injured, and with Evans and Varane joining them on the treatment table, Erik ten Hag faces a selection crisis. Against Liverpool last time out, the Dutchman fielded a centre-back pairing of Harry Maguire and 19-year-old Willy Kambwala, with 17-year-old left-back Harry Amass and 18-year-old centre-back Habeeb Ogunneye on the bench.

  • WHAT MAN UTD SAID

    The club issued a statement, reading: "Manchester United defender Raphael Varane will be out for the next few weeks with a muscle injury sustained during our game against Chelsea last week.

    "The French World Cup winner is aiming to be back in action before the end of the season in May.

    "Fellow centre-back Jonny Evans will also miss Saturday’s game against Bournemouth with a shorter-term muscle issue."

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    WHAT NEXT?

    United go into this weekend's game aiming to remain sixth and close the gap on fifth in the process. They are currently 11 points behind fifth-placed Aston Villa and fourth-placed Tottenham.

Bruno backed to sign Newcastle contract

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Former Premier League striker now Sky Sports pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has backed Bruno Guimaraes to sign a new contract at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Contract prepared

As per Football Insider, the St James’ Park outfit are preparing a club-record contract offer for Bruno, which would be worth up to £200,000 per week and be extended for two more years.

That would surpass the £145,000-per-week that Kieran Trippier, the club’s highest-paid player, is currently earning, and the total package would be around £60m.

The Latest: Bruno backed to sign

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor has backed Bruno to sign a new deal on Tyneside, adding that it is ‘exciting’ where the club could go with him.

When asked if the Brazilian would agree fresh terms with Newcastle, the 36-year-old replied: “I think he will, yes.

“I understand it from Newcastle, they’re looking at it and thinking ‘You know what, we have to tie this guy up because teams are going to try and steal him from us’.

“They should do, he’s a very talented player and I’m sure he’ll be looking at the project and think it’s exciting where it could go.

“I don’t think there’s any chance of him leaving yet, no way. Maybe in future, but at the moment, I think he wants to be part of the project there.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

With reports that Spanish giants Real Madrid had set their sights on a move for Bruno, it is vital that Eddie Howe’s side can get him to commit his long-term future to the Magpies.

He has been their third-best performing player in the Premier League so far this season, racking up two goals, two assists and one man-of-the-match award (WhoScored) and helping the Toon rise up to an impressive fourth place in the table.

His commitment to the club should not be questioned, having played in the 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon despite the recent birth of his baby, so a new contract is fully deserved for the Brazilian.

Tottenham: Journalist piles pressure on Richarlison

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Tottenham Hotspur’s £60million forward Richarlison has not lived up to the hype that was expected of him surrounding his summer move, according to journalist Paul Brown.

THE LOWDOWN: A TOUGH START

Mustering his way into a Spurs side with a front three of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski was always going to be a tough ask for the Brazilian.

Add in the likes of increased competition in the form of Lucas Moura and Bryan Gil and the task is made that bit more difficult, with Tottenham possessing some deadly attacking options that have seen them assert themselves as the third-highest goalscoring team in the league from their first 12 Premier League games.

Whilst signs have been there in the nine league games we have seen him feature in, Richarlison has ultimately failed to score in the 369 minutes he has played in England’s top flight this season – though he has mustered up two assists.

THE LATEST: A UNIQUE ASSET 

According to journalist Brown, Richarlison has not been “the kind of electric signing” that Spurs were hoping for, but does indeed offer Antonio Conte something different in attack.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Brown said: “I don’t think he’s been the kind of electric signing they were hoping for. He hasn’t scored the sort of goals that they thought he might, but I think he still does give them something a little bit different.

“He gives them a spikiness and he goes into areas that I think perhaps Kane and Son don’t always, so I just think he’s an option that’s been really important for Spurs at times and they will miss him while he’s out.”

THE VERDICT: UNIQUE & UNDERRATED?

In the case of 25-year-old Richarlison, his offering to Spurs is unique, with his hard-working ability both in and out of possession an aspect that will be greatly appreciated by Conte.

The Brazil international’s efforts off the ball up top are incredible and see him average 21.56 pressures per 90 (as per FBref).

It could be argued that Richarlison has a major influence on his team’s pressing play, with an incredible 18.07 pressures asserted across the attacking and middle third combined over the past year.

Interestingly, an average of 3.49 of these pressures occur in the defensive third, despite his identity as a forward, which is a testament to his work rate for the team.

Having struck double figures in three of his five full Premier League seasons, we know there are goals in his game, and this has been underlined by the two Champions League goals he has scored thus far.

But it’s his consistency in his work off the ball that makes him such a vital threat in the forward positions, so Spurs could well miss him as he spends time out with injury.

Spurs: Conte must unleash Bentancur vs OM

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Tottenham Hotspur face Olympique de Marseille at the Orange Vélodrome this evening, with Antonio Conte’s side knowing that a point will see them secure passage to the Champions League knockout round.

And, despite eventually sealing a 3-2 victory over AFC Bournemouth last time out, the 53-year-old Italian will undoubtedly be hoping for his side to get off to a much quicker start in France this evening, with Spurs having fallen two goals behind to the newly-promoted Cherries before springing a second-half comeback.

In order to have the best possibility of achieving this, Conte simply must get his starting XI spot on against last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up tonight, with Rodrigo Bentancur appearing something of a shoo-in to regain his place in central midfield after starting Saturday’s win on the bench.

Indeed, despite spending just 32 minutes on the pitch, the £43m-rated talent was arguably Tottenham’s most important player, completing 30 of his 33 attempted passes, finding his man with three of his four attempted long balls and making one key pass, as well as winning three of his four duels – a success rate of 75% and completing both of his attempted dribbles.

However, the £75k-per-week playmaker’s most notable contribution at the Vitality Stadium was undoubtedly his last-minute winner, with the Uruguay international cooly lifting the ball over a helpless Mark Travers deep into injury time to seal all three points for the visitors.

These metrics saw the 25-year-old earn an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.7 – the joint second-best rating of any Spurs player on the day – while Ryan Sessegnon also praised Bentancur’s impact after the match, with the wing-back stating:

“He’s obviously a very good midfield player, very composed. You saw it with the finish, he could have easily been rash and put it over the bar but he showed composure to guide it into the net. It was a very important moment.”

Furthermore, with the former Juventus centrocampista averaging a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.14 over his five Champions League fixtures this season – ranking him as Tottenham’s fourth-best player in the competition – it is clear to see that the Uruguayan is an extremely important part of the Spurs squad.

As such, Conte simply must unleash the player who Tom Robson dubbed a “Rolls-Royce” in his starting XI this evening, as it is evident that Bentancur has all of the tools to bully the French side’s midfield, which could well include former Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi.

Liverpool eyeing up midfielder in January

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Liverpool want to sign a new midfielder during the January transfer window to aid their current slump, according to reliable journalist Florian Plettenberg.

The Lowdown: Midfield all over the place

Jurgen Klopp’s men have been woeful for much of this season, sitting ninth in the Premier League and falling to a 2-1 defeat at home to Leeds United last weekend.

Midfield has been a massive area of concern for the Reds, with Fabinho looking horribly out of form and the likes of James Milner and Jordan Henderson past their best.

Barring Arthur, who is out for months through injury, no midfield signing was made in the summer and it is a decision that looks looking more perplexing by the day.

The Latest: Plettenberg drops positive claim

Writing on Twitter, Sky Sports Germany journalist Plettenberg claimed that Liverpool are aiming to sign someone in the middle of the park in January:

“A central midfielder is wanted in winter already!”

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The Verdict: Simply has to happen

Liverpool owners FSG have drawn the ire of many fans for their frugal nature in the transfer market, but when it comes to a January midfield addition, it simply has to happen.

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It is hard to see how the Reds will secure a top-four finish with their current options if not, especially with the likes of Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade0-Chamberlain proving to be so injury-prone, and Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones still both raw.

At least one midfielder has to come in midway through the season, with further reinforcements arriving next summer, as Klopp starts to completely rebuild his midfield.

Rangers must unleash Charlie McCann

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Glasgow Rangers will be hoping to bounce back from their defeat last time out in the Premiership as they prepare to host Hearts at Ibrox tonight.

The Light Blues head into the match off the back of two defeats in the Scottish top-flight and the Champions League in their last two competitive outings, losing to St. Johnstone and Ajax respectively.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men were beaten 2-1 by the Saints last weekend despite holding 73% of the possession and having 18 more shots at goal than their opponents.

The Dutch head coach is now under pressure after a section of the supporters chanted for his dismissal during the loss and The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell claimed that there were ‘mass calls’ on social media for him to be sacked.

Van Bronckhorst should switch his team up from the clash with St. Johnstone in order to inspire an improved performance and, most importantly, a positive result.

One player he must finally unleash from the start is academy midfielder Charlie McCann, who has been an unused substitute in each of the last four Premiership matches.

The rarely-seen gem, who has played just once in the league this season, has been doing enough in training to make the bench for the first team but van Bronckhorst has not been generous in handing him minutes on the pitch.

Rangers struggled to convert their chances against St. Johnstone, with one goal from 29 shots, and McCann is a goalscoring midfielder who could add an extra threat from the middle of the park.

Journalist Josh Bunting heaped praise on the youngster’s attacking intent earlier this year, Tweeting: “Charlie McCann is a quality player for Rangers, a real natural number 8 who must be knocking on the first team door. His goal today was stunning but his all round play is very sharp. Has a nice pass selection, always wants to get on the ball and make something happen.”

The Northern Ireland U21 international has scored four goals and provided one assist in six B Team matches so far this season and registered one assist in three first-team outings – starting one of those games.

He had showcased his attacking quality in the youth teams at Manchester United prior to making the move to Ibrox as he plundered 17 goals and seven assists in 62 appearances for their U21 and U18 sides combined.

These statistics show that he has the potential to be a goalscoring threat from midfield and that is why van Bronckhorst must unleash him from the start against Hearts in place of Malik Tillman, who failed in four of his five attempted dribbles and lost ten of his 13 duels last time out – failing to register a goal or an assist.

Aston Villa could tie down Danny Ings

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Aston Villa could be set to tie down their man in form, who already seems to have turned things around since the departure of Steven Gerrard…

What’s the latest?

According to Birmingham Live, whilst Unai Emery discussed transfer talk, it was revealed contract talks are continuing for striker Danny Ings.

The former Southampton hitman has just 19 months left on his £120k-per-week deal and, having been signed for £25m, Johan Lange will be reluctant to see him leave for free so soon after his 2021 summer move.

With the report also detailing that a winger is a top priority for the new boss in January, it is clear that the Spaniard hopes that a show of faith will spur Ings back to his goalscoring best.

Dream start

Although the 30-year-old had struggled in the early part of the season, in all honesty, he was one of many at Villa Park who suffered due to the ambiguous nature of Gerrard’s leadership.

With just one goal in the opening ten Premier League games of the season, it could have been assumed that the marksman was simply slowing down with age. Especially with a play style that relies upon explosive bursts to earn him the space to fire home.

However, since the departure of the 42-year-old, it is clear that he was simply a victim of the previous regime.

In the two games that Aaron Danks oversaw, he bagged two goals, and although he played little part in the win over Manchester United, his brace at Brighton & Hove Albion won them their first game on the road this season.

It is clear that given the right conditions he can still be a lethal striker at this level, continuing to prove himself as the “clinical finisher” that football writer Leanne Prescott once dubbed him.

Perhaps now, given a show of faith by a renowned manager, he can find himself recapturing his goalscoring form from his Saints days.

Should he accomplish this, where he bagged 46 times in 100 games on the south coast, it will further underpin how this makes Emery’s start in the Midlands a dream start.

Arsenal: Arteta tipped for Bellingham move

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Arsenal have been tipped to make a move for Jude Bellingham in the summer of 2023.

What’s been said?


That’s according to ex-Chelsea defender Scott Minto, who stated his belief in recent comments cited by The Sun that, despite the interest of Manchester City and Real Madrid, should Arsenal go on to secure Champions League football this season, there is no reason why Mikel Arteta’s side would not be genuine contenders for the Borussia Dortmund midfielder’s signing.

Regarding the interest in the 19-year-old, Minto said: “I’m not sure what his contract looks like, but there’s no doubt he’ll be playing in the Premier League, absolutely no doubt; he’s good enough to play a key role for the very best teams in the world.

“The very best team for me is Manchester City, but actually, the way Arsenal are playing at the moment, if they can finish in the top four, or better still, in second place, or even go on to win the title, then all of a sudden they become as attractive a proposition as City, just like that.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see that happening if Arsenal are in the Champions League next season. When you look at what that team is all about under Mikel Arteta, and there’d be a need for them to strengthen if they’re playing on Europe’s biggest stage, why couldn’t they go and get a Bellingham?

“At the start of the season I had Arsenal finishing in fifth place, or around that area; I didn’t think they’d make the top four. But I’m constantly re-evaluating things as each hurdle has been passed. And I can tell you now, I genuinely think that if they finish in the top four, suddenly they become one of the most attractive teams in the world to join.

“If this is a team which is already fighting City for the title, after just a year of Arteta turning things around, that’s a team which ticks every box.”

Edu must move

Considering just how impressive Bellingham has been for both club and country in recent years, in addition to the fact that central midfield is undoubtedly the area of Arsenal’s squad that Arteta lacks the most depth, the argument that Edu simply must sanction a move for the teenager next summer is an incredibly easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 15 Bundesliga appearances so far this season, the £216m-rated talent has been in breathtaking form, scoring three goals, registering two goals and creating four big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.1 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 2.0 dribbles per game.

The £27k-per-week midfielder has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, completing 42.8 passes – at a success rate of 83% – as well as making an average of 3.2 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 1.1 clearances and winning 9.7 duels – at a success rate of 63% – per game.

These returns have seen the player who Adam Smithy dubbed “unreal” and Dan Bardell claimed adds a “different dimension” average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.38, not only ranking him as Edin Terzić’s best performer in the league but also as the joint seventh-best player in the German top flight as a whole.

Furthermore, the 19-year-old also turned in a show-stopping performance in England’s 6-2 World Cup victory over Iran on Monday.

Indeed, Bellingham enjoyed 113 touches of the ball, completed 92 of his 96 attempted passes, was successful with two dribbles, made three tackles, won seven of his nine duels and scored the Three Lion’s opener with an exceptional header.

These metrics saw the player who Josh Bunting dubbed both “sensational” and “scary” earn a SofaScore match rating of 8.2, ranking him as Gareth Southgate’s second-best performer in England’s World Cup opener.

As such, with Bellingham very much appearing to be a five-tool talent, it would indeed appear an extremely wise move for Edu to launch an Arsenal bid for the teenager, as the Dortmund starlet would undoubtedly help to add a different dimension to Arteta’s midfield at The Emirates.

Tottenham: Kevin Campbell excited by Denzel Dumfries news

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has been left excited by reported Tottenham Hotspur contact for World Cup wing-back Denzel Dumfries.

The Lowdown: Spurs make contact for Dumfries…

As reported over the last week, Spurs have made an out-of-window move for the Inter Milan defender.

90min claim that the Lilywhites and sporting director Fabio Paratici have made contact to sign Dumfries in the form of an enquiry, coming amid Antonio Conte’s search for full-back upgrades.

It’s believed that one of Matt Doherty or Emerson Royal could be axed in favour of the Netherlands defender, who is currently with Louis van Gaal’s Oranje side in Qatar.

Inter will apparently be reluctant to sell the player outright, but the north Londoners ‘would push’ to make it happen.

The Latest: Campbell excited by Dumfries news…

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell claimed that Dumfries would be a ‘really good signing’ if Tottenham can pull it off.

The former Arsenal striker has raved over the 26-year-old’s physicality, calling him ‘big’, and explained exactly why he likes the Serie A dynamo.

Campbell outlined: “I really like him. He’s not doing his chances of a move any harm at the moment with his performances for Holland. He’s doing them the world of good with the way he’s playing.

“He is big, strong, athletic – and he can play. There will be challengers because he’s a good player. But it’d be a really good signing if Spurs could get him.”
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The Verdict: Good option…

Reports suggest that Dumfries could cost as much as £36m to prise away from Inter, but that’s hardly a surprise considering how important he is to Nerazzurri manager Simone Inzaghi.
If Spurs wish to compete with the very best teams in England and Europe, significant investments need to be made across the pitch to Conte’s precise demands.
Called a ‘very exciting and effective’ right-back by members of the media, Dumfries could be the man to upgrade Tottenham’s options out wide.

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